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For followers of Houston groups, the final 12 months has felt like one goodbye after one other. With the Houston Texans agreeing to launch J.J. Watt, one of many metropolis’s most beloved players is now gone.
Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr, will now transfer to a different staff after 10 years taking part in for the Texans by which he produced 101 sacks.
“I am excited and searching ahead to a brand new alternative, and I have been working extraordinarily arduous,” Watt mentioned Friday. “However on the identical time, it’s all the time robust to maneuver on.”
Watt now joins an in depth and star-studded record of gamers to go away Houston groups within the final 12 months.
When: March 2020
The place: Traded to the Arizona Cardinals with a fourth-round decide within the 2020 NFL draft for operating again David Johnson and two draft picks.
What occurred: Hopkins had 54 touchdowns in seven seasons in Houston. He was QB Deshaun Watson’s prime goal and the most effective younger receivers within the league. In grading the commerce on the time, Bill Barnwell called it “a jaw-dropping, mind-bending, inexplicable commerce for [Bill] O’Brien, whose weird run as Texans common supervisor goes to be the topic of a 30 for 30 documentary in the future.” In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins turned the go-to receiver for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. Hopkins caught 115 passes for 1,407 yards and 6 scores in 2020.
When: December 2020
The place: Westbrook was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a lottery-protected 2023 first-round draft decide.
What occurred: Westbrook’s cease in Houston was transient, however in a single season with the Rockets, he averaged 27.2 factors per recreation. The Rockets had one other early exit from the NBA playoffs in 2020, and, in accordance with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Westbrook was frustrated with the type of play and lack of self-discipline of then-teammate James Harden. Up to now this season, Westbrook is averaging 19.7 factors per recreation and the Wizards are 6-16.
SG James Harden
When: January 2021
The place: Harden was traded from the Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal.
What occurred: Harden’s eight seasons in Houston made him a reputable famous person. He was a three-time scoring champion and the 2018 MVP. However the Rockets by no means reached the NBA Finals with Harden, regardless of his scoring prowess. By the beginning of this season, Houston had misplaced its coach and GM and Harden had demanded a commerce. He confirmed up late to coaching camp and reportedly butted heads with Westbrook. “I do not blame James. I blame the group,” a former Rockets assistant advised MacMahon. “It is not his fault. He did what they allowed him to do.” In mid-January, Harden bought his want. He logged a triple-double in his Nets debut. With equally proficient stars round him in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Harden is averaging 23.9 factors per recreation and 11 assists. The help numbers are almost 5 per recreation larger than his profession common.
When: January 2021
The place: Every week after Harden’s departure, Springer left the Houston Astros and signed a six-year, $150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
What occurred: Springer was a centerpiece of the Astros’ current dominance. He hit 170 house runs in seven seasons in Houston. He appeared in two World Sequence, profitable in 2017 and being named sequence MVP. Springer was behind solely Mike Trout in wins above substitute in two of the previous three seasons. In Toronto, he’ll be another big bat in a lineup with Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
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